Special delivery
by Storywriter55
Summary: As Sara prepares to deliver their daughter, Neal works on a case than spans the ocean. Part of 'Neal and Sara's Wonderful Adventure' DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
1. Chapter 1

_Well, readers, there may be others in the series to fill in some gaps but this instalment is the arrival of the Ellis-Caffrey baby. _

_Part of the series 'Neal and Sara's Wonderful Adventure' which includes (if you want to read in order) 'Coloring outside the lines' 'Stolen art, stolen kisses' 'Sweet, salty or sour' 'A rose by any other name' 'Alfredo sauce and bowling balls' and 'Fortune cookie, anyone?'_

_Hope it lives up to expectations!_

**Special delivery**

(Week 40)

**Chapter 1**

'So, Peter, anything on the horizon this week' asked Neal as he fell into step with Peter on Pearl Street.

'Nothing that I know of, still cleaning up after the Morris case' he said 'How are you? Sleeping ok?'

'As well as one can when you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sara was due yesterday, and still nothing' Neal answered. 'She's starting to be impatient and she's having a lot of trouble sleeping'

'It must be uncomfortable' added Peter 'She's humongous!'

'Thank you Peter!' Neal said sarcastically. 'It's a good thing she's not here to hear you say that. She is _so_ sensitive right now. She cries at anything and she yells at me for stupid things. She's frustrated and she can barely get up off a kitchen chair, let alone the couch or the bed so if I'm not around, she could be stuck there for hours.'

'Regrets?' asked Peter

'Not at all. It's just a rough patch. We can't wait to see the baby's little face and bring her home. Did I tell you I finally finished the mural in her room?'

'Wow, that was one long project. Didn't you start back in November?'

'I did but I'm really pleased with the result. Why don't you and Elizabeth come over and see it tonight - maybe help Sara get her mind off things' said Neal.

'Well, you don't make it sound like much fun, Neal. Do we really want to get in the line of fire?'

'Naw, she controls herself with other people. I'm the one who gets the brunt of it' he added, shrugging dutifully.

They had finally arrived in front of their office building and were climbing the stairs to the main entrance when Diana walked up.

'Hey boss, Neal' she said by way of greeting.

'Good morning, Diana' said Peter smiling 'Shall we go find out what awaits us on the 21st floor this fine morning'

Everyone seemed busy at their various tasks when the elevator doors opened. Jones waved as Peter walked by and Neal went to sit at his desk, setting his coffee cup down next to Socrates. He went back to the files he was perusing the day before but he was having trouble concentrating. What with the lack of sleep, the anxiety and the lack of stimulation at work, it was all he could do to stay focussed let alone awake.

'Here's a weird one' said Jones 'one single piece of art was stolen last night from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Who takes just one piece?'

'What is it?' asked Neal, intrigued.

'Um, let's see... a sculpture 'Le sarcophage des époux'

'I know that piece' said Neal 'It's beautiful but it's not worth all that much. Were the thieves interrupted?'

'Not that I can tell' answered Jones

'I'm going to take this to Peter' said Neal 'anything so I don't have to look at another mortgage fraud case'

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara arrived home from her walk and prepared to begin the long, slow climb up to the third floor. She'd been trying all the tricks she'd read about to induce labor including exercise but to no avail. In her present state, climbing the stairs was arduous and somewhat dangerous. Neal didn't like her going out by herself at this point in her pregnancy but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, she thought. She'd also been trying to get Neal interested in sex – which was another well known labor inducer - but Neal had seemed distant and uninterested. Can you blame him, she thought, I'm as big as a house and he can barely reach the interesting body parts! She was sighing loudly when she heard June come out from the back of the house.

'Hello Sara' said June with her even and calming voice.

'Oh, hi June' Sara replied, out of breath. 'Do you mind if I sit here for a minute before I tackle these stairs. It's gotten almost impossible lately'

'Well, my dear, you shouldn't be climbing those stairs by yourself in your condition. What if you had a contraction on your way up?' said June, full of concern.

'I have been having contractions off and on but last week, at my doctor's appointment, Dr. Cooper said I hadn't started dilating yet so it's not going to be for a few days, I'm afraid.'

'You know, Sara, you've just given me an idea. Come with me' said June as she started for the back of the house where she had appeared from.

Sara followed June into a section of the house she had never seen before. Beyond the kitchen and dining room, there was a corridor that led to some rooms one of which she followed June into. It was a beautiful bedroom with a large window overseeing the back garden of the house. It had a king size bed and although it was obviously a room which had been occupied by a young woman, it was tastefully decorated and open and airy.

'This was my daughter's room before she got married and moved away' said June 'You know, I'm leaving tonight to visit her in Florida' June said 'Why don't you and Neal move down here for the next week or until the baby arrives, anyway. You've got everything you need down here, the kitchen is just down the hall, dining room, living room and anything else you could need. That way, you wouldn't have to navigate the stairs. I would feel so much better knowing you're not going up and down that staircase when I'm not here and Neal is at work.'

'Wow, that's quite an offer' said Sara looking over the space. It was certainly all they needed and more and it would make coming in and out of the house a lot easier. 'Why don't I discuss it with Neal when he gets home' she said, smiling.

'June!' they could hear in the distance. It was Neal and he was sounding frantic. 'June, are you home?'

'Back here' said June as she and Sara started towards the front of the house

'June, Sara's not upstairs. Do you know where she is – ' As he spoke, he came around the corner and saw Sara standing behind June. He gave a heavy sigh and ran towards them, hugging her.

'What are you doing down here? Did you come down by yourself?' he said visibly upset

'Neal, I'm a thirty one year old woman. I can come and go as I please' she said harshly. She immediately regretted the tone of voice she had used and looked down, embarrassed to be giving Neal a hard time in front of June.

June, smart lady that she was, was not getting involved in this. 'I'll leave you two to talk' she said, walking away.

'I'm sorry, Neal' Sara said after a moment 'I know I've been a bitch lately. I'm feeling like this baby is never going to come' she said dissolving into tears as she let herself drop into a nearby armchair.

'I know, I know, it's hard on you. You're miserable and uncomfortable and you've been going on just a couple of hours sleep a night for the past week' Neal said as he sat on the arm of the chair, putting his arm around her.

'What have I done to deserve you?' said Sara 'You've done nothing but be sweet and understanding the whole time and all I do is pick on you. I wouldn't blame you if –

'Hey, hey, hold it right there. I'm not perfect – as you well know. You've definitely got the brunt of this. I get to stand around and worry about you but I haven't been carrying a baby on my insides for nine long months'

Sara smiled feebly trying to gain control of her emotions. Once she gained her composure, she told Neal about June's offer and he immediately agreed that it was a wonderful idea.

'I'll go up and get what we need for tonight; you just sit here and relax, ok?' he said giving her a kiss on the forehead.

As they lay in bed that night looking out at the stars, Neal put his head on Sara's abdomen and facing the baby, he began to talk to her, telling her to sleep well. He started softly singing 'Twinkle, twinkle little star'. Sara had never found him sexier and she let him know in no uncertain terms when he settled in beside her. Neal responded to her kiss and then he offered the crook of his arm. 'Let's just cuddle' he whispered. Sara, disappointed, settled in for another long night with little sleep.

And so it came to pass that Neal and Sara temporarily moved in to the first floor of June's mansion and continued to wait for the arrival of their daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sophia Montoya strode confidently into the room and saw him standing by the window looking onto the estate's gardens. He was tall (about six feet) and lean and his light coloring belied his Italian heritage. When he heard her, he turned to face her and Sophia walked towards him opening her arms.

'Hi Nick' she said, kissing him on both cheeks

'Hey' he responded 'long time...'

'Yeah, are we the first one's here?' she asked

'My mom's upstairs with him' he responded pointing in the general direction of the main hall and sweeping staircase.

'Have you heard anything from your dad?' he continued

'Just a text saying: 'Mission accomplished' but that's it. His flight is landing as we speak'

'Hey sis' they heard from the doorway.

They both turned around to see a young man, about 25 years old with dark features and a mischievous smile. He was slightly shorter than his cousin but stockier and his dark eyes sparkled as if they always held a secret.

'Hey Joe' they both said in harmony

'So, Dad just called. His flight has landed at Marco Polo and he's coming right over' Joe said walking into the room.

'I hate this' said Sophia 'Why is Nonno making us do this'

'You know why' answered Nick 'it's for the family honor. He's a dying man Soph and this is all he's asking of us before he goes'

'What? For all of us to do jail time?' she responded

'Not if we do this right. There's no reason for anyone to put these individual thefts together and link them us' said Nick.

Nick clearly had the most intimate relationship with his grandfather Giuseppe. When his dad had died, Nick had only been six years old and his mom and he had moved in with his grandfather. He would do anything for him, anything to see him be at peace with the past and to leave this earth serene and peaceful. No matter the price they had to pay, it was a price worth paying.

There was a commotion in the hall and his mother appeared pushing his grandfather's wheelchair into the dining room.

'Nonno!' said Sophia as she ran to his side. As the only granddaughter and, at 22, the youngest grandchild, she clearly had a special place in his heart. She bent down to kiss him and he smiled meekly. She could see that his health had deteriorated greatly since she had seen him three weeks ago.

'Hi Zia Alessandra' she said to her aunt as she kissed her.

'Hello cara mia' she answered. 'Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes. Shall we wait for Enzo?' she asked of no one in particular.

'Traffic can be hell at this time of day' said Joe 'let's get started and he'll join us when he gets here'

They each took their place at the dining room table and Giuseppe as always sat at the head of the table looking out over his brood. He was a broken man. At 88, he had recently suffered a second stroke, this one much more severe than the first and his health had gone downhill over the past few months. He sensed that his health was not going to hold out much longer and he had gathered the family a month ago to confide in them about an aspect of the family's history he had never before shared.

He had sat everyone down around the great room with a fire burning in the large brick fireplace and had proceeded to tell the younger generation about his great grandfather, Giampietro Campana, who had been a Marquis in Rome and had died in disgrace after being banished from Rome by the Vatican for misappropriation of funds. The story was retold from generation to generation and when he was a young boy, his own grandfather had recounted what was to the family a shameful episode and a smear on the family name.

The Marquis had acquired an important collection of art over time mostly of Roman and Greek origin. The man had been fascinated by archeology and had financed many digs through which he acquired an impressive collection of jewels, art and archival documents. This collection was his pride and joy and when he was deported, all was lost and given to a number of museums, most notably the Louvre. Over the years, the Louvre had lent many pieces of its Campana collection to museums around the world and Giussepe became convinced that the only way to preserve the family name and its reputation was to retrieve items from that collection and return them to their rightful owners, the extended Campana family.

The plan had thus been hatched and their fates sealed. They would, one by one, carry out a theft in a different museum, in different cities in the United States and return to Venice with the coveted treasures.

The risk of being caught was diminished as each member of the family carried out a single theft. They had agreed to the plan and Enzo had been the first sent overseas to bring home a particularly coveted item, a sculpture 'Le sarcophage des époux'.

They ate in silence, waiting for the return of the prodigal son, hoping all had gone according to plan and that customs had been cleared without incident.

The front door opened and they all turned to face the door.

'Special delivery' he called from the front hall.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

'Peter, I'm telling you, it's just weird. There were dozens of much more valuable items sitting right there next to this sculpture. Why was it the only thing taken?' said Neal, feeling the adrenaline rush he craved when a new case came on the scene.

'I guess we could pay the Museum a visit' said Peter 'look at the camera footage and talk to the curator'

'It's Henri Cassal' said Neal 'I've known him for years. I'm sure he'll cooperate'

Peter was always impressed with Neal's contacts in the art world. As a guy who had 'allegedly' robbed many institutions, he had made friends on both sides of the fence. It never ceased to amaze Peter.

'Alright then. Let's go'

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Neal went up to their apartment to shower and prepare for the day. He came down, bringing clothes for Sara to change into as well as her toiletries and he left her a tray with breakfast. He was thankful that she was still sleeping; it had been another long night of insomnia for her and she had finally nodded off towards sunrise. At least she's getting some rest, he thought as he looked down at her, smiling. She looked so peaceful and that was rare lately as she dealt with physical discomfort and anxiety about the birth. He was hit with a wave of affection for her and their new life and he thought back to the night, three weeks ago when she had accepted his proposal. They were building on solid ground, he thought, and he looked ahead to their new life with optimism. His job now was to support her through the next few days and weeks as they adapted to the new addition to their family.

He left her a note on the pillow:

'_Today could be the day! I love you, Repo. Don't ever forget it'_

_Neal_

_xx_

... and he left for the office making sure his cell phone was on and the ringing activated. This was definitely not the time to miss a call from Sara, he thought. For the past week, every time a call came in, he had been jumpy and he realized just how anxious he was himself about the blessed event.

Peter and Neal had arranged to meet with the curator at the Metropolitan Museum and they had decided to hook up a few blocks away at the local Starbucks.

'Hey Peter!' Neal called out as he spotted him

'Good morning and how is our father to be this morning? said Peter, in response

'Not bad at all. Hoping today is the day!' said Neal

'Well, you're gonna love this, Neal. I had Jones put out an alert for similar heists in other cities and we got a bite overnight. A plaque called 'Cortège de jeunes Bacchants et Bacchantes ivres' – I'm sure I'm not pronouncing it right but anyway, it was taken from the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas yesterday'

'Oh yeah? Another one where the thief only took one item? Same MO?' he asked. Peter sure knew how to get his attention.

'Yeah, just the plaque. Not sure about the MO; I guess we'll find out more when we talk to your friend at the Met' answered Peter

Upon arrival, Neal was greeted by a warm hug from his friend, Henri. They had known each other in Paris years ago and had not seen each other in several years.

'Bonjour Neal' said Henri, warmly

'Bonjour Henri, comment vas-tu, mon ami?' responded Neal

'Très bien, je ne peux pas croire que l'on se retrouve dans la même ville et que l'on ne se voit jamais' said Henri

'Je sais' answered Neal 'c'est incroyable, n'est ce pas? Laisse-moi te présenter mon collègue'

Then, Neal turned to Peter who was looking like he was watching a tennis match but didn't know the score: 'Peter, this is Henri Cassal'

'Nice to meet you' said Peter 'thanks for agreeing to meet with us. We wanted to talk about that theft a couple of nights ago'

'Ah, you mean 'Le sarcophage des époux'? said Henri with his distinct French accent. 'It was unusual, for certain. The thief came in through the service door, managed to disable the security system and proceeded to the main room where we have the visiting exhibits.'

'So this piece is not a part of your permanent collection, then?' asked Peter

'Non, it is visiting from the Louvre for a few months' said Henri

'Are there other pieces visiting from the Louvre' asked Neal, curious.

'Yes, but none from the Campana collection' responded Henri

'Is there any chance we can look at the security footage?' inquired Peter

'Yes, certainement' said Henri as he led them to an office at the back of the gallery 'Fortunately, our security cameras are on another system so we did get footage of the theft'

They sat while Henri brought up the footage from the night of the theft. Peter looked over at Neal 'How do you do that French thing?' he said, under his breath. Although he hated to compliment Neal, _ever,_ he was always impressed with the many skills Neal brought to the table and his ability to slide into any social situation with ease and charm.

'It just takes motivation to learn, you could do it if you wanted to Peter' he said, smiling that annoying Caffrey smile that always put Peter on edge.

'Here we are' said Henri

There was minimal lighting but just enough of a glow to make out someone coming in from the south door of the gallery and walking directly towards the sculpture. The figure had the physique of a man and was dressed totally in black with a balaclava covering his face. He made short work of removing the glass covering the sculpture and placed it in what appeared to be a black back before leaving; the whole operation took all of 90 seconds.

'Henri, do you have any theory as to why this piece was targeted?' asked Peter trying to get a sense of who might be interested in this particular piece of art.

'I don't' said Henri 'We have much more valuable pieces in this exhibit and with the alarm disconnected, the thief would have had plenty of time to forage and help himself to other more valuable pieces'

'Well, obviously not more valuable for the thief' said Neal, who was well aware that people gravitated to certain objects for reasons other than their monetary value.

'Well, thanks for your help, can we call if we need to talk again' asked Peter

'Certainement' said Henri smiling 'c'est toujours un plaisir de te revoir, Neal!'

'Et pour moi aussi!' answered Neal shaking his hand warmly

Once outside and seeing it was a beautiful spring day, the two men decided to walk back to the office which was only about eight blocks away.

'If you don't mind, I'm just going to give Sara a quick call – see how she's feeling' he said taking out his phone

Peter walked and listened to Neal's side of the conversation. He thought Neal was handling things pretty well but he also knew that Neal could hide his feelings and apprehensions better than anyone he had ever met. He wanted to be able to pick up on any subtlety in Neal's body language - even if it was unconscious on Neal's part.

'Hey Sara, it's me. How'd you sleep?'

'That's good'

'You're welcome. Did you eat everything?

'Even the banana? Good, you need your potassium'

'How are you feeling?'

'You sure you're up to it?'

'Yeah, ok, just be careful and bring your phone, ok?'

'See you around five'

'Love you'

'So she's good?' asked Peter picking up on some unease on Neal's part.

'Yeah, yeah, she's good' said Neal distracted

'What is it you're not telling me?' said Peter, reading between the lines.

'Nothing in particular – there's just been a little more tension lately. We're both anxious for the baby to arrive and Sara's been acting a little unusual the last few days.'

'Well, that's understandable. Giving birth must create some anxiety, don't you think, Neal?'

'Sure, and I'm trying to do everything right so I don't upset her unnecessarily but for example - she's still really interested in sex and I've been putting her off for about a week and she seems a bit ticked off' said Neal

'Why are you putting her off?' asked Peter

Neal rolled his eyes as if it were a no-brainer.

'What, doesn't she do it for you?' asked Peter looking a bit embarrassed to be having this conversation.

'Are you kidding?' Neal said, avoiding Peter's eyes 'she's never been sexier than since she's been pregnant. It's been over a week and I'm going nuts just lying there next to her... - let's just say I've been spending a lot of time in the washroom lately'

'Oooh' exclaimed Peter

'In the shower, Peter – having a cold shower. Get your mind out of the gutter!'

'Well, what's the problem, then?'

'I'm terrified of hurting her or the baby. I don't want to ... break anything' said Neal, suddenly looking forlorn, like a little boy who wants to take that cookie but is resisting.

'Well, is sex not recommended at this point in time? You're the one who reads absolutely everything about pregnancy online.' said Peter

'Well, I didn't look _that _up' said Neal 'Look, we're going to her doctor's appointment tomorrow. Maybe I'll get the nerve to ask Dr. Cooper about it'

'Alright, let's go Romeo' said Peter 'Time to go fight some crime' he said leading Neal up the steps of the Federal Building.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara's outings were few and far between these days. She was trying to stay close to home and always had her trigger finger on her phone, ready to speed dial Neal when the moment finally arrived. But Elizabeth was family and so when she suggested they have lunch, Sara agreed as long as it wasn't too far from home. They settled on Acqua, a pizza place about a mile from Neal and Sara's apartment. On the way back, she could always get a cab if she was too tired to walk.

Sara picked the spiciest item on the menu – another labor inducer she had read about – and tucked into her meal.

Elizabeth looked great, she thought, as she checked her out, enviously. Wearing those great strappy shoes Sara would kill to be able to put her swollen feet into and looking svelte and healthy. Sara was feeling totally unattractive these days, especially following Neal's rebuff again the night before.

'For someone who's about to have a baby, I think you look amazing' said Elizabeth looking at her friend

Sara laughed out loud 'Well, I sure as hell don't feel it' she answered. 'And I wish Neal felt that way about me. I may look like _this_' she said pointing to her stomach 'but I'm still really hot for him. How can I be expected to lie there next to him and not want to jump his bones, especially with this spike in hormones?'

'What are you talking about? We all see the way Neal looks at you. He thinks you're amazing, he always has' said Elizabeth reaching out for Sara's hand.

'Then why doesn't he want to have sex with me? I started with subtle hints but I've been practically throwing myself at him the last few nights and he keeps putting me off. I bet he finds me hideous' she said with a pout

'I really doubt that, Sara. Did you ask him why he wasn't interested?'

'Noooo. Like I'm going to say: don't you like me anymore? It's mortifying enough without having to confront someone directly.' She was sounding like a twelve year old with a crush.

'Sara, this doesn't make any sense. Talk to Neal, or talk to Dr. Cooper. Don't you have an appointment tomorrow?'

'Yeah, if I make it till then' said Sara looking quite discouraged. 'I just want this to be over, Elizabeth. Nine months is enough! I want to see my baby and I want my body back and I want my hot sex life back too.' She spoke a bit louder than she thought as a few bystanders looked in her direction.

One lady, at the table next to her leaned over and said: 'I hear you, honey. Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line.'

WCWCWCWCWCWC

As Peter and Elizabeth were having dinner that night, they shared the events of their day including the peculiar conversations they'd had with Neal and Sara earlier.

'Can you believe it, Peter? Sara says Neal's pushing her away and she thinks he doesn't find her attractive anymore. That's ridiculous. We can all see how crazy he is about her. What's up with him, anyway?'

'Are you kidding? Neal told me how she's driving him nuts. He's spending all his time taking cold showers. They haven't had sex in over a week but he's holding back because he's afraid of breaking her or hurting the baby!'

'Oh, dear...' said Elizabeth

'Oh, no you don't. I know that look. You stay out of this Elizabeth Burke. It's none of our business.

Elizabeth looked at him with a gleam in her eye.

TBC

And now for a little French lesson...

'Bonjour Neal' said Henri, warmly

_**(Good morning, Neal)**_

'Bonjour Henri, comment vas-tu, mon ami?' responded Neal

_**(Good morning, Henri, how are you, my friend)**_

'Très bien, je ne peux pas croire que l'on se retrouve dans la même ville et que l'on ne se voit jamais' said Henri

_**(Very well, I can't believe we're in the same city and we never see each other)**_

'Je sais' answered Neal 'c'est incroyable, n'est ce pas? Laisse-moi te présenter mon collègue'

_**(I know, it's incredible, isn't it? Let me introduce you to my colleague)**_

'Certainement' said Henri smiling 'c'est toujours un plaisir de te revoir, Neal!'

_**(Certainly, it's always a pleasure to see you again, Neal!)**_

'Et pour moi aussi!' answered Neal shaking his hand warmly

_**(For me too!)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Giuseppe Campana sat in his wheelchair with a cup of tea in his shaking hands and admired the two pieces of art that his son and daughter had brought back from America. They were breathtaking. Just looking at them gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment. The family's name and reputation would be restored, he thought.

As he sat gazing at the treasures, he heard someone behind him.

'Nonno, what are you doing down here alone' asked Nick

'Niccolo' said his grandfather, weakly

Nick looked in his grandfather's eyes and saw a tear about to spill.

WCWCWCCWCWCWC

Neal and Peter started the morning off with a conference call to the White collar unit in Texas. They had asked to consult with them on the previous day's theft at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and share the details of the theft at the Metropolitan Museum to see if there were any similarities between the two cases.

John Carling, the lead investigator in the case in Houston was on the other end of the line.

'Hi, John, Peter Burke here, White collar unit, New York. I'm here with my consultant, Neal Caffrey and two of my team, Diana Berrigan and Clinton Jones.

'Good morning, all' came the reply from the phone on Peter's desk.

'John, we had an unusual theft here in New York this past week. One single item disappeared from the Metropolitan. The thief knew how to disconnect the security system and rather than help himself to any number of more valuable items, he chose to take a sculpture that was on loan from the Louvre.'

'Well, Peter, the item that was taken from the Museum of Fine Arts was also on loan from the Louvre. I don't know at this point if that is a coincidence. I've sent over the security footage by e-mail, do you have it yet? he asked

'Just opening it now' said Peter as he sent the video over to the power point.

'You can see that the thief appears to be a woman, dressed in black with a balaclava. She knew what she was doing and went straight to the plaque without even looking around' said Carling.

'I see that' said Peter 'Same MO as our theft. Any thoughts on this, John?' he added

'Not on this end. To be honest, we have a few more pressing cases and we haven't put in very many man hours on this one yet' he answered.

'Thanks, John, we'll be in touch if we come up with anything' said Peter

When he disconnected, he looked up at Neal and could see the wheels turning. Neal always had that look when he was computing information before he could articulate any theory.

'There is no way that these are not connected, Peter. It's just too strange. It was strange already but now that it's happened twice it all the more bizarre.'

'I agree, boss' chimed in Diana 'This woman is going for that plaque with the same single mindedness we saw in the other theft. It's like they're on some sort of vendetta or something.'

'Jones, any other cases like these' asked Peter

'I've put out a search but so far these are the only two. But we'll keep digging' said Jones

'Alright, I want hear any ideas or theories on this people' said Peter

WCWCWCWCWCWC

It was three days short of 41 weeks and enough was enough. Sara was getting to the point where she wanted to do jumping jacks, anything to make this happen. Neal had been given the afternoon off and was swinging by the apartment to pick her up to go to her doctor's appointment and he found her pacing on the sidewalk outside June's.

'What are you doing out here' he asked as he greeted her with a kiss

'Neal, I am going nuts. This has got to end or I... I... I don't know what I'll do' she spoke in a shrill, rather scary voice.

'C'mon, Sara. I've got us a cab. Maybe Dr. Cooper will have some good news for us' he said as he led her away.

He felt like he was walking a tightrope. She had obviously had her fill and he had no idea how he could possibly contribute to making this any more bearable for her. In the cab, he took her hand and started kissing each one of her knuckles. It had the desired effect as she stopped fidgeting and felt herself quieten down. She looked at Neal with a look which said 'sorry I lost it again' and he just smiled that smile that said 'it's going to be ok'. She curled up on his side and let him hold her for the rest of the way, enjoying his warmth and close proximity.

The waiting room was full to the brim and Sara was reminded of the day she had sat there, alone, a little over seven months ago, anguished and upset. Now, she was with Neal and although she couldn't wait for her pregnancy to end, she was happy and content.

When her turn came, she was ushered in for a quick examination while Neal waited in the outer office.

'Sara, how are you doing today' said Dr. Cooper smiling. She could guess the response Sara wanted to give by the daggers in her eyes but Sara said: 'Fine, thanks.'

'Let's have a look and see if there is any movement' she said as Sara put her feet up in the stirrups (must have been invented by a man, she thought). 'Well, we do have significant softening and thinning of the cervix and a very slight dilation. This is progress, Sara' said Dr. Cooper.

'Really?' said Sara, getting excited. 'So how soon could it be?'

'Well, it could still be a couple of days but the end is coming. Try to hold on. Do you have any concerns?' she asked in her kind, motherly tone.

'Dr. Cooper, I've been feeling really aroused lately' said Sara timidly

'That's not abnormal, Sara. There's a lot of pressure down there and many women want sex until the very end. There's no contraindication for that. Some even say it will provoke labor like exercise or spicy foods. Here's a pamphlet of positions you might want to try' she said handing Sara a small booklet entitled 'Sex in the last month of pregnancy'.

'Positions?' asked Sara

'Well, I'm sure you're finding it hard to have intercourse in the missionary position and you are carrying up front so that belly takes up a lot of space. Try these and you can tell me if it worked when I see you in the delivery room' she said with a wink. 'Look, I doubt very much you're going to need it, but book an appointment for next week at this time. Now, get dressed and I'll talk to you and your young man in my office before you go.'

Dr. Cooper stepped into her office and Neal was already seated waiting for her and Sara to return. Although he had been to a number or appointments with Sara over the last few months, he still couldn't get used to sitting in an office surrounded by plastic uteruses and charts of pregnant women in various stages of gestation.

'Sara will be right out' Dr. Cooper said 'How are you coping, Neal? I notice Sara is pretty high strung today, are you going to make it through another couple of days?'

'She's just really anxious and so am I' answered Neal. This was his chance, he thought, to ask that awkward sex question. 'Dr. Cooper, Sara is still really interested in sex and I wondered...' he trailed off.

'Well, there's certainly no contraindication' said Dr. Cooper. 'You see, the sensation of having the baby push down creates an intense pressure in the groin area and add to that the hormone count and you could have a very horny mom to be'

Neal looked away, embarrassed.

'Could I hurt the baby if I... you know, I don't want to do any harm to Sara or the baby' he said

'Well, I can assure you that you can't hurt the baby, she's well protected inside the uterus. It's just the comfort factor and the sheer size of the belly that's a challenge and Sara is carrying up front so you have to find a way to work around it. Here's a pamphlet of positions you might want to try' she said handing Neal the same booklet she had given to Sara just minutes before. 'I encourage it at this point, if Sara has an interest, you know many doctors think it can induce labor and get things moving so it's win-win'

'Thanks, doctor' Neal said meekly putting the brochure in his jacket pocket

The door opened and in walked (waddled) Sara who promptly sat down next to Neal.

'So Neal and Sara, I fully expect to see you in the delivery room within the next 48 hours. Once you start getting four to six contractions an hour and it continues for more than two consecutive hours, I want you to call my service and I'll be there to meet you at the hospital. Any questions?'

'No, I think we're good' said Sara, looking over at Neal. 'See you in the delivery room' she said as she rose to leave.

They were both quiet on the way home, lost in thought. The baby was coming and soon. As scary as that was, it was also very exciting and they looked at each other, smiling as if they were reading each other's thoughts.

Neal thought back to the conversation he had with Dr. Cooper and was embarrassed to think he had pushed Sara away. He decided he'd study the little booklet he had in his jacket pocket and see if Sara wanted to make a go of it.

Sara was also thinking about that brochure in her purse and wondering if she dared bring up sex again. The last thing she wanted was to feel like she had the other night but as she sat in the cab next to Neal with their thighs touching, it was all she could do not to jump him right there and then.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

They had dinner quietly, both of them wondering how to raise the discussion they had had individually with Dr. Cooper in her office. Although they had been together off and on for over two years and had a fulfilling and exciting sex life, they seemed reluctant and embarrassed to discuss the mechanics of having sex with a basketball between them.

The last few times they had sex had been stressful, especially for Neal. The results had been less than stellar for either of them and Neal hated to disappoint. He had been self conscious, so aware of the baby, of Sara's sensitive breasts, of the awkwardness of her ever expanding stomach that he had preferred to refrain than to cause her any discomfort.

Finally as they prepared for bed, Neal sat on the edge of the bed and took out the pamphlet he had received from Dr. Cooper and proceeded to read it for the umpteenth time. Sara appeared from the washroom and as he looked up, he could see she was holding the very same pamphlet in her hands.

Looking at each other as if they had both been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, they both began to laugh, spontaneously.

'I never thought we would ever need instructions on how to make out' said Sara, looking at him shyly.

Neal rose from the bed, walking towards her. He put both of his hands on her shoulders maintaining eye contact: 'Sara, I need to tell you something, first. I'm sorry if I've been aloof in bed lately. The truth is I've been scared ever since the last time we made out. You were so uncomfortable and I was afraid I was going to hurt you or the baby. I thought it was just better to leave it alone. I realize now that I might have given you got the wrong idea.'

'I thought you didn't want me anymore' said Sara

'Are you kidding? You are so beautiful' he said, gently touching her cheek 'I've been telling you that for the past nine months. You are sexier than ever and it's been killing me to keep my hands off you'

'Oh, Neal. When did we stop talking and start walking on eggshells around each other?'

He smiled looking into her eyes and rubbing her shoulders gently

'Well, are you up for a little experimenting?' asked Neal, looking down at the 'Sex in the last month of pregnancy' booklet

'I'm game if you are' answered Sara.

'Come here' he said huskily

He pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, his tongue searching her mouth, his arms holding her close (as close as one can with a large object between them). She responded immediately, hormones kicking in, and grabbed Neal's ass as she tried to bring him even closer. His mouth began to travel down her neck and unbuttoning her nightgown, he let his mouth find her breast, teasing, kissing, nibbling, biting. This clearly put things in second gear for Sara as she began fumbling to undo the front of Neal's pajama bottoms. She slid them down over his hips, letting them fall and he slipped out of them, kicking them away. He moaned softly as he felt her hand on him. She was slowly pushing him towards the bed and he fell backwards sitting down. She began to slowly drop onto the floor (not an easy feat) and he stopped her mid-way, grabbing her arm.

'What do you think you're doing' he said, alarmed.

'I thought it was obvious' she said, looking up at him with lust in her eyes.

'No, no, not on your knees. I'm not going to have you on your knees. You're the mother of my child, not some…. you know...'

'What, like we've never done this before?' said Sara looking puzzled

'Not when you're about to give birth any second. It's just….. wrong!' said Neal as his state of arousal began to dissipate.

'Neal, I'm not made of porcelain. I want to….'

'Come up here, let's look at this together' he said taking out the booklet once more and pulling her up onto the edge of the bed. 'There's this one on a chair we could try with you and I facing the same way. Do you want to try that?'

She shrugged. 'Sure, we could try'

He helped her up off the bed and they walked over to the kitchen where Neal pulled out a chair. They began kissing once more and Neal had to re-boot after his little hissy-fit so Sara took the time necessary to bring him back to life. She kissed him and spoke softly in his ear – this always worked with Neal – whispering his name and telling him how much she wanted him and how she was his and only his. Her hands began exploring, teasing him and she began to feel him responding once again.

He sat on the chair and she straddled him, standing over him. He slipped her nightgown over her shoulders and let it drop to the floor putting his hands on her belly – he loved the feel of it under his hands. He looked up through hooded eyes, getting back in the zone and she began running her fingers through his hair as she pushed her breasts forward toward his more than willing mouth. 'Mmmm...' he sighed as he began kissing her nipples, licking, sucking and suddenly, he made an unusual sound as he pulled away slightly and she looked down as he stared ahead.

'What?' she said not wanting to break the burgeoning mood

'Colustrum' he said 'it's sweet' as he returned to her breast humming and grabbing her hips to pull her closer.

Now they seemed to be getting somewhere, thought Sara feeling more and more aroused. Neal's eyes met hers and he smiled as he placed his hand between her legs and she instantly felt a bolt of electricity. It wasn't going to take much to put her over the top, she thought. The pressure was so strong and with the heaviness of her belly suddenly she was coming and pulling him up against her as she groaned in pleasure. He smiled as he looked up at her, his breathing getting louder and more erratic.

She turned (as per the diagram she had just studied) and sat sinking down on him as they both faced towards the kitchen. She heard a gasp escape from the back of Neal's throat as he held her and kissed her shoulder pushing her hair from her neck. His tongue found its way into her ear as he whispered 'Sara… mmm...Sara'

His hands were cupping her breasts, teasing her sensitive nipples and bringing her near the edge once more. Dammit, she was going to come again. And didn't she just, tightening around him and making him buck up to meet her as she gasped and moaned. She was still riding her orgasm and was moving to get deeper penetration when she felt herself losing her balance and propelled by her displaced centre of gravity, she began to fall forward plunging head first towards the floor.

'Neal' she shouted suddenly and he grabbed her tighter to keep her from falling off the chair.

'Oh my God, you ok?' said Neal successfully breaking the mood once more. He held her to keep her from falling and they got up together, giggling and kissing.

'What's next?' he asked

'Well, we haven't tried the spooning' she said, looking at him with lust in her eyes.

'Spooning...' he repeated as he became distracted, kissing her neck and shoulder going for the trifecta. He recuperated quickly and by the time they had wandered back to the bed, he was functional once more.

Sara lay on her side facing out and Neal lay down spooning her, feeling her warmth and holding her abdomen to pull her as close as possible. The angle was all wrong so he whispered for her to scoot up a bit and push her bum towards him. She did as she was told and groaned when she felt his hardness against her trying to gain entry, searching from this unusual position. He didn't give up and within a few moments, he found his way in, holding her and moaning with pleasure as he began to thrust in and out. It wasn't the best angle but just feeling her so close and smelling her and holding her was definitely having the desired effect.

'Ohhh' she screamed loudly.

'What?' he said, pulling out suddenly 'Did I hurt you?'

'No, that felt so good, dammit Neal'. She turned to face him and they both started to laugh hysterically at their predicament.

Poor Neal couldn't take much more of this pushing and pulling. A guy can only push the re-start button so many times…

'I'm sorry' said Sara

'For what?' said Neal 'we haven't had this much fun in weeks. I love you Sara, this is all just window dressing. Do you want to cuddle?'

And so after an hour of kissing, hugging, touching, biting, nibbling, rubbing, squeezing, pinching, licking and fumbling they settled in for a nice long session of necking and cuddling which had always been Neal's favorite part anyway.

Holding Sara in his arms, he moved on the bed to better position himself and as he did, he grabbed the sex pamphlet that was in the way and threw it across the room. As it turned out, they knew best after all….


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sara awoke to Neal gently grinding against her and whispering 'Good morning' suggestively in her ear. She smiled. She had unleashed a beast, she thought.

She hadn't slept this well in weeks and felt totally refreshed. She responded to Neal's coaxing by moving slightly to accommodate him as she had the night before and she began to lose herself in the sensation of his body rocking in and out of hers. This time she was careful not to interrupt his fervour and enjoyed the movement and the closeness of their bodies as he held her tightly. He thrust in and out as he whispered her name over and over, telling her as he always did how much he loved her. She felt his orgasm as he held her belly pushing into her deeply and he groaned with pleasure.

As Neal lay back, he welcomed her in his arms with a huge smile and a deep sigh.

'If that doesn't get labor going, I don't know what will' he said, grinning from ear to ear

'You've certainly done your best' she agreed with a naughty smile

They lay satisfied for a while until Neal realized that this was indeed a workday and he did indeed need to go to work. He slipped out of bed leaving Sara to snooze and went up to the apartment to shower and shave. Although it was more of a hassle to be bringing things up and down every day, he was relieved to know that Sara didn't have to navigate the stairs and could come and go more easily.

In the shower, his mind turned to the case he and Peter were working on and he was anxious to find out if there had been any other unusual robberies. On his way out, he returned to the bedroom and he could hear Sara gently snoring; he smiled knowing that she was content and that she would be rested for the day ahead. He kissed her gently but she never stirred and he headed out to the office.

'So, sleeping in, are we?' Peter asked as Neal arrived at the office a good twenty minutes late - not a usual occurrence for Neal.

'Just enjoying the last couple of days before we have to get up three times a night to feed the baby' he said with a twinkle in his eye

'Well, I hope you're on your A game, Neal, because we have another bizarre case, this time in Colorado' Peter said, motioning to the Harvard crew to move into the conference room.

'Jones, what have we got?' Peter asked once everyone was settled

'This time it's the Aspen Art Museum' Jones said 'This is getting weirder and weirder'

'Same MO?' asked Peter

'Single person in black with a black balaclava who took one item after disabling the security system. I'll bring up the visual for you'

They all looked at the screen and sure enough, it was the same type of disguise only this time, it looked like a man with a stockier build than the first one. He did exactly as the other two had done – he walked up to the coveted item, grabbed it and walked away. This time it was a painting titled 'La sainte conversation' and although the item was a little bulkier than the two previous ones, the thief moved swiftly and was out of camera range within 90 seconds.

'Was this item on loan or part of their permanent collection?' asked Neal

'This one was also on loan from the Louvre and was scheduled to stay in Aspen until next month' reported Jones.

'There's got to be some connection here' said Neal 'Why are these items from the Louvre all being targeted by this group of thieves? Could it be someone associated with the Louvre? Or do these items have something else in common that we haven't figured out?'

'People' said Peter 'I want some suggestions by the time we reconvene at 10:30'

The group dispersed and Neal returned to his desk in the bullpen. He couldn't help but feel he was missing something and that the Louvre connection was a red herring. Before getting down to some serious research on each of the individual pieces stolen, he put in a call to Sara.

'Hi Neal' she said with a drawl as she answered

'Hi yourself' he said lustfully as he heard her voice and thought back to their morning romp

'I miss you' he added

'Cute' Sara answered laughing 'you sound like a lovesick puppy'

He laughed. 'So….' He teased, letting his voice trail

'Neal… did you call me, from work, to flirt and talk suggestively to me?' she asked

'And what if I did?' he asked looking around to see if anyone was listening 'You were amazing this morning and last night, too' he added

'You weren't so bad yourself' she added, getting into it

'Where are you anyway, sounds like you're outside?' asked Neal

'I am; I'm walking around our neighborhood – you know to keep things moving'

'Anything?'

'Naw, just a lot of gas and my feet are swollen. Who's sexy now?' she added, laughing

'Well don't go too far from home, ok?' said Neal reverting back to his Papa Bear persona

'Yes, my darling, I promise. See you at dinner?'

'You will. Love you' said Neal hanging up

He booted up his computer and decided to do a little research on the individual items that had been stolen since the start of the case. There had to be something linking these items together. If it wasn't the Louvre, what else could it be?

All the pieces were from the same general era and had all been permanent fixtures at the Louvre for a number of years. What was it that Henri had said that day about 'Le sarcophage des époux' - that it had been part of a collection. He checked his notes from their meeting and found what he was looking for: the sculpture had been part of the Campana collection. That rang a bell with Neal so he started to look up the history of Campana and his collected works.

As he began to search online, Jones came up to him 'Caffrey, you're not going to believe this. There was another theft last night in Florida, similar MO. They're sending over the footage. '

'What's the item?' asked Neal

'Another painting – Vierge à l'enfant' answered Jones 'I've never heard of it, you?'

'Can't say I have' said Neal as he punched it into his search engine.

'Well, what do you know, that item was also part of the Campana collection' he added looking at his computer screen. He felt he was on to something – he just wasn't sure what yet.

Peter called everyone back to the boardroom promptly at 10:30. Jones had received the security footage from the latest theft which had occurred around the same time as the one in Aspen. No surprise there, same MO, different body build, again a man, slighter but taller. That made for a total of four thefts.

'So people, brainstorming time' said Peter, trying to get the ideas flowing.

As he often did, Neal stood by the wall holding the notes he had just printed off his computer.

'I have a thought' he said, not waiting for Peter to acknowledge him 'All the items were on loan from the Louvre, that much we know but they all have something else in common. They were all part of the Campana collection. That collection had a permanent residence at the Louvre until recently when the museum began lending individual pieces to museums around the world.'

Neal continued: 'The Campana collection was named for Giampietro Campana who died in 1880. He financed many archeological digs and collected an assortment of pieces mostly of Roman and Greek origin. He was exiled in 1857 for misappropriation of funds and his collection was sold by the Vatican. Most of it went to the Louvre and over time, the museum lent pieces to other museums around the world. His great grandson is Giuseppe Campana and he lives in Venice. I think we should poke around and see if we can find any connection between the thefts and this guy.'

'Ok, Neal, run with that' said Peter. 'Any other thoughts?'

'I don't think we can discount the Louvre connection either' said Diana 'I can work that angle'

'Alright' said Peter 'Get to work, everyone'

As he dug deeper, Neal became convinced that what linked the art pieces was the fact they had been part of the Campana collection. The fact they were all on loan from the Louvre was a coincidence, he thought. He looked deeper into the Campana family and found out that the patriarch, Giuseppe had two children, Enzo and Alessandra and three grandchildren, Giuseppe Jr. – who went by the name Joe, Niccolo and Sophia. What if they had each carried out one theft for some reason?

Further digging uncovered the fact that Giuseppe Campana was a dying man totally devoted to restoring the dignity of the family name and heritage. Newspaper archives quoted him as calling for the return of the items that were rightfully the Campana family's property. What if he had decided to take matters into his own hands avenge his great grandfather's memory by bringing home some of the pieces that had been torn away from the family.

'Peter' he said, slightly out of breath from running up the stairs 'I think I might be on to something. These items are all part of the Campana collection, right?'

Peter nodded.

'The patriarch of the Campana clan, Giuseppe Campana is dying. What if he somehow convinced his children and grandchildren to carry out these heists to recover some of the items that he feels were wrongly taken from the family?'

'I don't know' said Peter, his voice trailing 'Sounds a little far-fetched'

'Can we at least find out if any members of the Campana family traveled to the US on the dates the crimes were committed? I have all their names here' he said handing a sheet of paper to Peter.

'It wouldn't hurt' said Peter. Some of Neal's most improbable theories had more than once allowed them to solve a case. 'I'll look into it and let you know.'

Neal decided to take a walk over lunch. He was feeling like a caged animal. Although the case was a welcome relief from sitting at his desk worrying about Sara, she was still constantly on his mind. Another day seemed to be slipping away without any significant movement on the baby front.

If this continued any longer, Dr. Cooper would start talking about inducing labor which he knew from his research was not fun. He hoped Sara could go into labor naturally - but then again, neither he nor Sara had any control over this. He had done his share to get things moving last night and this morning, he thought, smiling, and given half a chance, he would give a repeat performance again tonight.

When he got back to the office, Peter seemed excited and signaled him to come up. Neal ran up the stairs and entered Peter's office where Jones and Diana were already waiting.

'Caffrey' said Peter 'I don't know how you come up with this stuff but you've done it again. We've got a perfect match with four of the members of the Campana family flying into the cities where the thefts took place on the dates of the thefts and flying back to Venice the next day. And, get this, Campana's granddaughter, Sophia Montoya just landed in New York an hour ago.

'Wow, that means something's going down tonight' said Neal, feeling an adrenaline rush. 'Do we know if there are any other items from the Campana collection in town?'

'We do' said Jones 'Brooklyn Museum has a rare bracelet from the collection on display.'

'So, there's an excellent chance that Campana's granddaughter is headed there tonight' said Neal.

'How do you want to do this, boss?' asked Diana 'Do you want to involve NYPD?'

'I don't think so' answered Peter 'We don't want to spook her. Neal, do you have your cat burglar get-up nearby?'

'You want me to be waiting in the wings when she gets there?' asked Neal

Peter shrugged 'Sounds like a reasonable plan' he said

'Diana' he continued 'get in touch with NYPD. We don't want them walking in on the middle of our operation. Ask if they will back us up with the arrest once we've got her but tell them to stay the hell back 'till I give the order'

'On it' Diana said, leaving the office

'Peter, there's just one thing' Neal was looking concerned 'Sara could be going into labor any minute. I'm not sure I want to leave her alone tonight.'

'I think we can take care of that. Elizabeth was going to invite you guys over for dinner anyways – to take your mind off stuff. The girls can wait at our place while you and I wrap this up. What do you say?'

'Ok, well, let me run this by Sara. Sounds reasonable. I'd love to finish up this case before Sara has the baby' he admitted

WCWCWCWCWCWC

They sat and enjoyed Elizabeth's roast chicken with broccoli and rice. Sara didn't eat much, she was feeling really uncomfortable and kept fidgeting on her chair and Neal kept a hand on hers or on her lap to keep her grounded. When dinner was over, Neal changed into his cat burglar gear of black on black and came down the stairs, ready to leave. Sara was waiting near the door and she pulled him to her as he walked by.

'Be careful, Caffrey. You're going to be a daddy in a day or two' she said, frowning.

'There is very little danger on this stakeout but I promise to be extra careful. Now, don't forget I'm leaving my cell phone here so you call Peter's phone if you need me and I will drop everything to come right back' he said nuzzling her and trying to make her smile.

She smiled meekly but it was strictly for his benefit since she was uneasy about letting him go. She was feeling particularly anxious these last few days and when he was next to her, she always felt exponentially better.

They kissed and Sara waved as Neal followed Peter out of the house and into the car.

The plan was to head out early and set up at the Brooklyn Museum. Museum staff, who had been fully briefed, were awaiting their arrival.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

'You ok with all this, Neal?' asked Peter on the way to the museum.

'Sure' answered Neal, looking out the window

'Is it Sara?' asked Peter trying to understand why the usually chatty Neal was suddenly so quiet

'Oh, it's everything' said Neal

After a few seconds, he added

'It's scary, becoming a parent... I hope I do ok at it. I don't want to mess up this baby's life'

'Hey, where's all this coming from?' Peter asked. 'You've come such a long way and it's obvious how much you love this baby already'

'Loving her is not the issue. Always doing the right thing and being a good model for her – that's where I start to lose confidence... I'm far from the perfect ideal, Peter'

Peter just looked sideways at Neal and gave him a look as if to say 'who do you think you're talking to, here'

But what came out of his mouth was a little more supportive: 'You think everyone who ever had a baby was perfect in every way?' he said

'Obviously not, but they don't all have a record in a federal penitentiary...' said Neal, suddenly sullen

'Neal, look at yourself. Yes, agreed, you'll never be perfect but you are surrounded by people who care about you, who appreciate you and who love you despite your imperfections and although I would deny ever saying this, a little bit because of your imperfections. That's what makes you the man you are.'

'I want to do the right thing, Peter. But it's not always easy' Neal responded

'I know that and I see how you struggle but I also know you have a good heart and you would never intentionally hurt anyone' said Peter. 'Your daughter is going to be smart, like you, and she'll figure it out soon enough'

Neal just shrugged but Peter could tell he was snapping out of it.

You and Sara, you're good?'

'Yeah, that part's amazing' said Neal. 'She drives me crazy at times as much as I probably make her nuts but she is so strong and I'm totally in love with her. Ever since I've put that ring on her finger, it's even better. Everything seems so settled, you know, like we know where we're headed and we know we're going there together.'

'You remember when I told you that, someday, you'd be the luckiest guy...'

'Yeah, I sure as hell didn't know what that would be for me back then but, now that it's clear, I'm just so content, it's scary. I just want to live up to my expectations of myself' said Neal smiling wistfully.

'Don't question fate, buddy. Settle in for the ride and enjoy every minute'

Neal looked over at Peter – that sounded like good advice.

When they arrived at the Brooklyn museum, Jones and Diana were already there and the van was about a block away. They handed Neal a transmitter watch so they could hear what was going on in the museum and properly time their arrival.

Not wanting to draw any attention to the operation, they had kept museum staff involvement to a minimum. Despite having briefed the curator concerning the proposed sting, the only person actually on site was the chief of security, Dwight Stevens.

He took Peter and Neal into the room where the targeted bracelet was housed and directed them to a parapet he had installed nearby that appeared to blend in with the decor. This is where Neal was to hide and lay in waiting. He had placed a stool so Neal could sit since they had no idea what time the thief would hit or if indeed she would.

It was 8:30 and Neal settled in to wait.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Sophia looked at herself in the bathroom mirror in her hotel room and wondered how she had ended up here – in New York City about to steal a bracelet to revive her family's honor. She had had a rocky start with the Campana part of her family. She had spent the first fifteen years of her life living with her mother, barely seeing her dad, going so far as to take her mother's maiden name as her own.

When she was old enough to understand the circumstances around her parent's separation and divorce, she had realized that her mother had not been honest with her and had purposefully kept her away from her father. She rebelled, of course, and turned on her mom, spending more and more time with her dad, Enzo and the entire Campana clan. Now, she had to show them all that she was committed – her brother and cousin as well as her dad and aunt had all gone through with the assigned task and everyone was waiting back in Venice for her to return with this bracelet that had special significance for her grandfather.

Checking herself one last time in the mirror and mentally going over the instructions that had been drilled into her to hack the security system, she turned and walked out the door.

Sophia arrived at the museum at approximately 10:30. Everything was eerily quiet as it should be. She skulked around to the service entrance and saw the familiar layout she had been studying on paper for a few weeks. She took out her lock pick set and started on the door. It took her a little longer than when she practised at home but just when she was about to give up, she heard the familiar noise of the door unlocking.

Was that a noise, Neal wondered. The silence was so eerie and sitting there in semi-darkness with nothing to do but wait was starting to wear thin for someone like him who needed lots of action. Yes, he thought, that was definitely a noise. He whispered into his watch 'I think I've got company' and went back to listening for any sound. It didn't take long for him to hear more noise coming from outside the room. She was probably trying to disarm the security system.

Sophia was shaking and she was drawing a blank on how to do this. She was beginning to panic when a little voice inside her managed to get her attention and get her re-focussed. She knew how to do this – this is not the time to choke, she told herself – you only have one minute to do this before the alarm sounds. She fiddled with the wires behind the panel she had managed to open and finally cut the necessary connections. She took a deep breath and started for the room down the hall.

Neal saw the glow from the flashlight as he peeked around the parapet. He was now on full alert. No matter the situation and the seemingly innocuous nature of this particular perpetrator, he had learned that you can never be too careful and this was no time for taking chances. There were no footsteps, just the movement of the light as someone walked closer towards him.

He waited until she walked up to the display that held the bracelet and watched her work to dislodge the item. Not bad, he thought, admiring her movements. She moved quickly – it took a little over a minute for her to have the coveted bracelet in her hands.

'Hi Sophia' Neal said stepping out of the shadows.

She gasped. 'Who are you?' she asked trying to get a good look at Neal.

'Why are you doing this?' he asked approaching her slowly but not wanting to spook her. He suddenly felt sorry for her and wondered if she had been coerced in some way into doing this. He wanted to reach her and take her arm so that she wouldn't be spooked when the rest of the crew walked in, an arrival he knew was imminent.

He took the last few steps towards her and grabbed her arm, firmly yet gently. She held the bracelet tightly, not letting go. He removed her balaclava and looked into her face. She was a child, he thought, so young with bright brown eyes and long hair that tumbled down over her shoulders when he removed the headgear.

All of a sudden, there were lights and some footsteps heading towards them and Sophia looked at Neal, pleading, asking with her eyes for him to let her run. Out of the blue, Neal flashed forward twenty years and saw his own daughter, caught in something she hadn't thought through and for a brief moment, he considered letting her run.

Peter was there instantly as were Jones and Diana and suddenly, there were uniformed NYPD, cuffing her and reading her her rights.

Peter asked that she be taken to the Federal Building for questioning and he walked up to Neal, hand on his shoulder.

'Good job, Neal, as always' he said as they walked away together.

By the time questioning was over and they had driven home, it was almost 2:00 am and Neal and Peter were both exhausted from the long night. Elizabeth had gone to bed and Sara was curled up on the couch snoring.

'Do you want to stay in the guest room?' whispered Peter

'I don't know, it's tempting but it's always easier when you wake up at home' he said making his way over to Sara to gently wake her.

'Sara' he whispered 'Sara, wake up baby'

She opened one eye 'Oh, good you're back. Everything ok?' she asked sleepily.

'Everything's fine. Thief caught. Case closed. Do you want to stay here or do you want to go home?' Neal asked searching her eyes

'As painful as it is to move, I think we should go home' she said 'we'll be glad in the morning to wake up at June's, don't you think?'

He already had his phone out, calling a cab and said goodnight to Peter, wishing him a good albeit short night's sleep.

'Alright' said Peter 'We wrap everything up tomorrow. Good job, Neal!' he said as he started up the stairs

Neal helped Sara to sit up and held her briefly against him.

'How are you feeling?' he asked

'Exhausted' she answered, curling up in the crook of his arm

'Ready?' he asked as he helped heave her up on her feet

Once in the cab, Sara continued to snooze off and on with her head against Neal's chest.

'What if our daughter makes some bad choices and gets herself into trouble?' Neal asked, seemingly out of the blue

'Where did this come from?' she asked, sleepily

'We arrested this 22 year old girl tonight. She was trying to do the right thing for her family but it's going to land her in jail. It's just overwhelming to think that our little girl is going to grow up to be a young woman and she'll be making decisions that could get her into trouble' he continued

'All we can do is try to be good models for her and help her develop a strong sense of self' said Sara, looking up at him

'You are so smart' he said, looking down at Sara and kissing her forehead. 'Our daughter is so lucky to have a mom like you'

'I don't know about that, Neal. All we can do is give her the tools to make the right decisions for herself. You learned the hard way what happens when someone doesn't get that guidance and despite everything, you've managed to find your own moral compass'

'Well, it's still a struggle, at times and I never promised to be a model citizen but boy, having a baby sure motivates you to try' he said

They had arrived home and Sara climbed out of the taxi with difficulty. Neal helped her up the few steps to the front door and they headed to their makeshift bedroom at the back of the house.

Once in bed, he held her for a long time, listening to her breathing deepen and letting it finally lull him to sleep.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

7:00 a.m.

'Feel this' Sara said, taking Neal's hand and placing it on her stomach as she lay in bed next to him.

'Woah!' he said as he felt her abdomen 'that's as hard as a rock'

She moaned softly 'Well, that's what a contraction feels like. How long was that one?' she said letting out her breath.

'30 seconds' he answered 'and the one before that was 26 seconds and it was 18 minutes ago'

He wrote it down so as not to forget.

'Wouldn't it be easier if I just stayed home today?' said Neal, feeling anxious about leaving Sara at this late stage of her pregnancy

'There is really no point, Neal. Dr Cooper said that once contractions start, it takes several hours. We can stay in touch throughout the day and Elizabeth is coming at around noon to spend the afternoon with me.'

'Alright' Neal said, reluctantly agreeing 'But I'm calling every hour to check on you!'

'Ok, deal' she relented 'Hey, aren't you closing your case on those museum thefts today'

'Yeah, we're interviewing staff at the Metropolitan and at the Brooklyn Museum'

'If you hadn't spotted the common thread between all those thefts, they never would have been able to pin it on the Campana family' she said 'My hero!'

'Well, I feel bad for the kids; they were truly doing it for their grandfather. Hopefully, the family situation will be taken into account when they go to trial'

'You softie – hey, shouldn't you get going?' she said

'Just a few more minutes' he said, lazily. 'This could be last morning we lay here together like this. With any luck, you won't make it to tonight in one piece' he said gathering her in his arms. 'I'm going miss your belly, you know.'

'Well, that makes one of us' Sara said unequivocally.

9:10 a.m.

Neal was finishing up his report from the night before and preparing some questions to ask the staff of the Museum. Jones was busy nearby filling out the necessary forms to bring members of the Campana family back to the United States for questioning and eventually to be charged and detained.

'So Caffrey, you must be on pins and needles' said Jones, looking up from his paperwork

'Let's just say that if Sara hadn't insisted I come to work, I would have stayed home today. But I want to save my leave days for when the baby gets here. Plus, I really want to get the paperwork finished on this case before I disappear for a few weeks.'

'So how long will you be off?'

'Peter got Hughes to give me two weeks off which is great!' answered Neal 'Oops, excuse me, it's time for me to check in with Sara' he continued as he grabbed his phone and headed for a more private corner of the bullpen.

'Hi Neal!' Sara answered 'Are you really going to do this all day?'

'Yes, I am so get used to it. What's happening with the contractions?'

'I've been writing them down. Let's see, since you left I've had 3 all under 45 seconds so I guess there's not much change. I was just having a bit of breakfast.'

'Alright, mommy, keep writing those down and call me if there's any change. I'll call you back in a little while. Love you'

'Bye' said Sara with a smile on her face. All through her pregnancy, Neal had been loving and attentive, why should that change now, she wondered.

10:45 a.m.

'Neal, will you be ready to leave for the Metropolitan right after lunch? asked Peter as he breezed by his desk

'Yup' said Neal, obviously distracted

Peter walked around to look at Neal's computer screen. As suspected, Neal was perusing a website on the stages of labor. Peter rolled his eyes.

'I guess there's no point in telling you to snap out of it, is there?'

'What? Uhh... no' admitted Neal. 'But I do want to finish up this case before I take off on parental leave. By the way, thanks again for convincing Hughes to give me the time off.'

'Well, you deserve it, buddy. You've worked hard and you've kept your nose clean the last few months. That hasn't gone unnoticed by the top brass, you know' said Peter as he patted Neal on the shoulder.

'You want to grab a bite before we head out?' asked Peter 'my treat!'

'Sure, see you at noon' said Neal grabbing his phone

He called Sara's number and after five rings it went to voice mail. That was not good…

'Sara, it's me. Call me when you get my message, ok?'

He hung up and tried to get back to the file in front of him but his thoughts were running rampant. He imagined Sara lying in the apartment, unconscious or having slipped in the tub and hit her head or in terrible pain and unable to get to the phone.

He dialed again. Voice mail, dammit!

'Sara, call me or I'm calling 911' he said half-joking

He then called Elizabeth's number. She answered on the second ring.

'Hi Elizabeth, it's Neal'

'Hey poppa, how are you doing?' she said cheerfully

'I'm worried about Sara. She's not picking up her phone. Are you headed to our place soon?' he asked, anxiously

'Yeah, I should be there within ten minutes. I'll get her to call you' Elizabeth said

'Don't forget, we're staying on the first floor. Don't go up to the apartment' he reminded her.

As he was hanging up, his phone rang.

'Hey Neal'

'Sara, thank God, where were you?'

'Um, in the shower, Neal. You have to stop this or you're going to end up in the loony bin before I make it to the maternity ward. Listen to me, I'm fine. No more calls. I will call you if there's any change – I promise.'

'I can't promise I won't call but I'll try to hold back for a couple of hours, ok? I love you' he said hoping to be forgiven

'And I love you; now give me some space here. You will definitely be the first to know.'

'Ok' said Neal, feeling like a chastised child

As the day progressed, Neal fought the urge to pick up his phone every few minutes. He felt like he was going to explode. This waiting was horrible; he could only imagine how much worse it was for Sara.

Peter and Neal left the office shortly after noon and headed west a few blocks on a quest for a bite to eat. They ended up at Jackie's, an upscale diner that had a little bit of everything. Peter dug into his devilled ham sandwich and sour pickles and Neal picked at the pasta with clam sauce.

'So, we're headed over to the Metropolitan first' said Peter. 'We need to collect that footage from the first robbery'

'Ok' said Neal, without much enthusiasm

'And then, we'll cross town and interview the staff from the Brooklyn Museum and go through the events of last night' Peter continued

'Ok' said Neal, again.

'Neal?'

'Yeah?'

'You up for this?'

'Yeah, yeah, sorry. I'm with you. Brooklyn then the Met'

'No, no, the Met, then Brooklyn'

'But that'll put us across town from the hospital and it'll probably be rush hour by then' Neal whined

'Well, it can't be helped. They couldn't see us until 3:30 in Brooklyn' said Peter now wishing he was going alone

They finished their lunch in silence once Peter came to the realization that Neal was on another planet somewhere, holding his newborn daughter.

They jumped into the car and arrived at the Metropolitan at around 1:45. Unfortunately Henri wasn't there to greet them. His assistant, Monica Horton welcomed them into her office.

'So, I hear you've cracked the case and recovered all the art - very impressive' she said. 'So, it had nothing to do with the fact that the items were on loan from the Louvre?'

'The key was finding out that the items had all been part of the Campana collection' said Peter

'Wow, I hear five family members were involved in the different thefts' Monica added

'As far as we know, the family members are being extradited and will be charged here in the States' confirmed Peter

'Well, Henri left the footage for you to take. He was sorry he couldn't be here. He asked me to give you this, Mr. Caffrey'

She handed Neal an envelope as well as a small box. The envelope contained a card that read:

'Pour la naissance de votre bébé – félicitations!' and it was signed 'Affectueusement, Henri'

Neal smiled upon reading it. The box contained a beautiful silver cup engraved with the words: 'Ma première tasse' (My first cup). Neal thanked Monica and the dynamic duo headed out across town to wrap up its case in Brooklyn.

2:55 p.m.

They were driving along the I-278 on the way to Brooklyn and Neal could no longer contain himself. He hadn't heard from Sara in over three hours and decided that was long enough.

'Hi, beautiful, how are you feeling?' he said as she picked up

'I'm good. Tired. The contractions are still coming in waves but nothing really sustained yet. I did have a couple of stronger ones but it hasn't been consistent. I guess there's no point in going to the hospital too early; they'll just send us home'

'Do you want me to come home and sit with you? We're headed to the Brooklyn Museum but I'm sure Peter can manage without me' offered Neal

'No, no, there's no point. Elizabeth and I are sitting here having a cup of tea and she said she could stay until you get home. I'll call if things change. Neal?'

'Yeah?'

'I think our daughter is going to be born today….' Sara said, dreamily

'Wow. After all this waiting, this is really going to happen isn't it?' answered Neal, just as dreamily

'Yup. See you around six?'

'Count on it!' he said hanging up

The meeting at the Brooklyn Museum went as expected. Peter and Neal briefed the curator, Mr. Johnston, on the events of the night before and the fact that the thieves would be intercepted in Venice and brought to the States. Peter thanked him for his cooperation in letting them have use of the space as part of the take-down. The meeting lasted about twenty minutes and shortly before 4:00, they were on the way back to the office with the case wrapped up. As expected, they were caught in traffic along the interstate with rush hour in full swing.

3:58 p.m.

'Ok, this is progressing much faster than Dr. Cooper said' said Elizabeth trying to stay calm. 'I think we should start thinking about getting you to the hospital.'

Sara was bent over with a particularly strong contraction and she was having difficulty catching her breath. 'Get… Neal on the phone' she said with difficulty

Elizabeth grabbed Sara's phone and proceeded to press the speed dial button for Neal's number.

He answered on the first ring 'Sara, is everything ok?'

Sara reached her hand out for Elizabeth to hand her the phone.

'Neal, where the hell are you?' she all but screamed into the phone

'You know where I am, we just wrapped things up at the Brooklyn Museum. I talked to you less than an hour ago. What's happened?'

'Your daughter is about to be born. Get your ass down to the hospital' she said barely keeping her wits about her.

'I'll meet you there, Sara. Breathe. Now put Elizabeth on' he said

Sara threw the phone in the general direction of where Elizabeth was standing as she doubled over again to brace for the next wave of pain.

'Elizabeth, she was nowhere near this an hour ago. What happened?' Neal asked trying to remain calm but not quite managing it

'About half an hour ago, she started to get stronger contractions and it's really not letting up. Her water broke about ten minutes ago. I'm putting us in a cab right now. Tell Peter what's going on and we'll meet you there' she said and he was never happier to know that Elizabeth was in charge.

'Elizabeth, it's four o'clock and we're across town so it's going to take a while. You've got to try to keep Sara calm'

He could hear Sara screaming in the background, as if she was being tortured.

'I'll do my best' said Elizabeth

'Her bag is packed and is right by the bed in the back room. Do you see it?' he asked

'Don't worry, I'll get it. Hurry Neal!'

4:15 p.m.

Elizabeth sat in the cab next to Sara who had calmed down considerably over the past fifteen minutes.

'Sorry about all that screaming' she said to her friend

'It's ok, don't worry about it. How do you feel now?' asked Elizabeth

'Scared and anxious and wondering why I didn't just say yes when Neal offered to stay home today' said Sara

'It's ok, he'll meet us at the hospital. Try to stay calm, ok'

'Elizabeth, I don't know what I would do without you. I really lost it back there, sorry'

'Hey, you are about to have a baby, my goddaughter. You're entitled'

5:20 p.m.

Peter dropped Neal off at the emergency entrance and went to park the car. Neal arrived at the admissions desk like a gust of wind.

'My fiancée is here, she's having our baby. Has she been admitted yet?' he said panicked

'What's her name?' asked the clerk

'Sara Ellis' he answered

'Ok, Mr. Ellis, have a seat and I'll find out what's going on'

'It's Caffrey, dammit, she's Ellis, I'm Caffrey. How many times do I have to tell you people' he shouted and then caught himself.

'Sorry' he added 'I am just a little uptight'

'Here we are. She's already on the maternity ward. Do you know where that is?' she asked ready to give Neal instructions.

'Yeah, I'm good. Thanks' said Neal, smiling, trying to make up for his little outburst.

He climbed the stairs two by two, arrived on the floor and was directed to Sara's room.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

'And over here, we have our two birthing rooms' said Rhonda, their guide.

Neal and Sara were taking a guided tour of the facilities at Lenox Hill hospital as part of their pre-natal class. The maternity ward was nothing like Neal had imagined. As well as labor and delivery rooms, there were two birthing rooms that looked good enough to be in the pages of a magazine. There was a big bed, big enough, they were being told, for dad to climb in with mom, some comfortable chairs, paintings on the wall (cheap reproductions from Sears?) a large Jacuzzi and muted lighting. The only thing that gave away the fact that it was a hospital room was the medical equipment tucked away in a corner of the room.

Rhonda continued 'The birthing rooms are on a first come, first serve basis. Please indicate when you fill out your pre-admission forms if you are interested in using one and if one is available upon your arrival at the hospital, it will be offered to you'

Neal looked at Sara, smiling. It was hard to project what that moment would be like, when they finally arrived at the hospital for the birth of their daughter...

All the rooms were in a semi circle around the nurses' work station making it easy for them to go from room to room and there was a comfortable waiting area for family members.

'The birthing rooms are just like your bedroom at home' Rhonda said 'that is, you can decide who is with you at all times. The only exception being should the doctor request the room be cleared in case of an emergency situation'

Neal raised his eyebrows at Sara with a look that said 'that better not be us'

The tour ended with tea and biscuits and an opportunity to ask questions of the head of nursing.

'So, great rooms, huh?' said Neal as they walked out

'Yeah, love those birthing rooms. So, I guess we can have people in there with us if we want. What do you think?' she asked, looking at Neal.

'It's up to you. Do you want people in with us for the birth itself?'

'I don't know – maybe not the birth itself but it would be nice to be surrounded by people during labor – Dr. Cooper says it could take several hours'

'Well, we'll play it by ear, then' said Neal holding the door open for Sara

5:21 p.m.

Neal arrived at the nurses' station and introduced himself, asking about Sara's whereabouts. She had been assigned one of the birthing rooms, the one closest to the waiting area and Neal lost no time walking over to find her.

Sara looked up as Neal came into the room. She was standing by the bed with her suitcase open in front of her and Neal thought she looked just beautiful from this angle with her belly as large as it was ever going to be.

She turned and walked over to him, hugging him

'I'm so glad you're finally here' she whispered as she spoke in his ear.

'Where else would I possibly be?' answered Neal taking her face in his hands and kissing her.

Only then, was Neal aware that Elizabeth was sitting nearby in one of the rocking chairs.

'Hi Elizabeth, thanks for getting Sara here. I hope it wasn't too hectic!'

'She's been a model patient so far' said Elizabeth, standing up. 'Is Peter with you?' she asked.

'Yeah, he's just parking the car' Neal answered

'I think I'll go out and find him' said Elizabeth as she walked over to give Sara a hug 'You ok now that Neal's here?'

'Yes' Sara said with emphasis 'Thanks Elizabeth. You're not leaving, are you?' she asked a little more desperate than she meant to sound

'No, are you kidding? Our goddaughter is coming soon. I'll just give you some time alone and we'll be back in a little while' she said as she headed for the door

After she had left, Neal walked Sara over to the bed and insisted she sit while she filled him in on what was going on. The initial examination had shown that she was dilated by 3 centimeters and that labor was well underway. Now was the difficult part, Neal thought. The moment when Sara would need him the most and it was his job to keep her calm and focussed.

He knew Sara well enough to know that her little tirade over the phone was just a sampling of how high strung she might become and he steeled himself for a few hours of possible outbursts on her part as Sara dealt in her own way with the pain and discomfort.

She almost read it in his eyes and said: 'I'm sorry about yelling on the phone. Of course, none of this is your fault – she stopped and laughed – well technically, it's all your fault but you know what I mean'

'It's ok' said Neal, calmly 'I promise not to take anything you say to me personally in the next few hours'

'Well, you can take this personally' she said looking up at him and smiling 'I love you very much and I am so happy that I'm having this baby with you so please forgive me if I say anything to the contrary before this is over'

'I promise' said Neal once again 'I don't want you to hold back; if yelling at me helps you deal with the pain, I can take it'

She laughed but almost immediately her face contorted and she said loudly 'Oh, shit, here's another one. Ooow"

'What do you need' asked Neal reaching for her.

'Just put your hand on my back and shut up' she said

Neal did a mental eye roll and sat on the bed rubbing her back.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Elizabeth found Peter roaming around the lobby not sure where he was meant to go.

'Hey hon' she said approaching him

'Hey' he answered, hugging her 'How's Sara'

'Well, she's Sara, she's outspoken and she's in pain so you can figure out the rest' said Elizabeth

Peter laughed. 'So what are we supposed to do? Do we hang around the waiting room and wait for the blessed event?'

'Well' Elizabeth explained 'this is the fun part. Sara is in what's called a birthing room. It's more casual than an ordinary hospital room and people can be in with her at any time'

She studied Peter's face waiting for the inevitable reaction.

'So, we can be in there while she's in labor, like having contractions?' he said slowly as the implications dawned on him

'Whatever she wants and whatever we're comfortable with' she said and she waited a second to continue 'How do you feel about that?'

'You mean, I could be in there while she's having contractions?' repeated Peter seemingly needing even more clarification

'Look, Peter, you don't have to be in there if you don't want to be. But this is Sara and Neal and they are our best friends and to be honest, Neal might need your support because unlike you, he doesn't get to leave when things get uncomfortable. Plus, Sara will tell us if she wants us to leave the room at any time'

'Ok' said Peter ever so slowly 'I'll give it a go and we'll take our cue from Sara'

'Honey, if you can't manage it, no one will judge you. I know that this is not the most comfortable of situations but it is real life and more importantly it's the birth of a little girl who's going to be a very big part of our life'

Peter smiled at that – this he could comprehend.

Sara's contraction ended and she looked ragged. Neal suggested she put her feet up on the bed and recuperate while he finished unpacking her suitcase. After a few moments, Sara sat up and started to get up from the bed.

'What are you doing?' asked Neal, looking concerned

'Neal, this could be long. I don't want you to hover, ok? I need to move around. Remember what Dr. Cooper said – to do whatever feels right during contractions. There's no right or wrong here and I am certainly not staying in this bed for the next few hours'

'You're right, sorry. Are you allowed to eat and drink?' he asked

'Yeah, actually I wouldn't mind some ginger ale. Can you find that for me?'

'Sure' he said 'look, while I'm out, I'll make a few phone calls and let people know we're here, ok? Is there anyone you want here, now?'

'Go ahead and call June and Mozzie and let them know what's going on - but I think it's too early for them to come down. Tell them you'll call them later' she said, once again taking charge

Just then, the door opened and Dr. Cooper walked in, clipboard in hand. 'Hi Sara, hello Neal' she said 'nice digs, huh? So, how are we doing, young lady?'

'Well, you tell me' answered Sara

'You are 3 centimeters dilated at the moment and as you know, we need to get you up to 10 centimeters so I will not lie, this is the hard part. With every contraction, the baby is starting to make her way further down the birth canal so she's in charge here, not you and certainly not me. Do you have everything you need for now?'

'Yeah' answered Sara 'Neal was just going to get me something to drink. Is that ok?'

'Perfectly' Dr. Cooper answered 'and if you are craving anything in particular to eat, you can have it in moderation - no steak mind you, just light snacks. Feel free to use the tub, the shower and Sara, remember what we discussed, when the contractions are at their most intense, get into whatever position feels the most comfortable to you'

'Right' answered Sara

Neal stood there and all of a sudden, he felt totally useless. Sara would be in intense pain over the next little while and he was used to being able to make her smile whenever he wanted when he turned on his charm-o-meter full blast but he knew that his charm alone just wasn't going to cut it in this situation and he felt totally at a loss.

Dr. Cooper left and Neal followed her out on his mission to get Sara's drink.

'Dr. Cooper' he said tentatively as he walked with her 'what can I do to help Sara?'

'Well, Neal not a hell of a lot just duck when you see her winding up and take your cue from her' she said with a sparkle in her eye 'Let me just say, this is a very intense moment in a woman's life and men often feel totally impotent (no pun intended) but in the end, your Sara will come out of it like every other woman has ever done and she'll be holding your beautiful daughter in her arms'

'Thanks Dr. Cooper' he said humbled

'I'll be back to check on you in a little while' she said as she walked away

8:02 p.m.

Peter sat trying to concentrate on the crossword puzzle and Elizabeth was reading a magazine. They had been sitting in the birthing room for about an hour and now that Peter had been in the room for a while and witnessed a couple of Sara's contractions, he was a little more relaxed.

Neal and Sara were lying on the bed together, Neal spooning Sara as he held her through her last two contractions. She had continued to progress and at last check, Dr. Cooper had announced she was dilated by five centimeters. She was halfway there.

Sara was growing less and less comfortable on the bed, however, and she signalled Neal to get off; she needed to move. She stood up painfully and, suddenly everyone in the room became aware of her movements.

'My back is killing me' she said to Neal, looking like she had daggers in her eyes.

'Do you want me to rub it?' he asked

'No' she said bending forward to stretch 'I need to pee'

'Do you want me to come with you?' Neal asked knowing better than to make that decision for her.

'No, I'm good'

While she was in the bathroom, her nurse, Karen, came in looking around the room for the mom-to-be.

'In the bathroom' said Neal, pointing in that direction, as if there was anywhere else she could be 'she's complaining about her back' he added

'Some women really like the hot tub when their back starts to ache. Maybe Sara would like to try that. I can get it started for her. There's room for two in there, if she wants you with her' she added

Peter looked up, visibly uncomfortable at _that _thought

'No, that's ok. I can run her a bath if she wants one. Thanks' said Neal

Elizabeth piped up 'Hon, why don't you and I go get a bite to eat and give Neal and Sara some time'

'Sure' said Peter thankful for the opportunity to leave the room for a little while

'Listen, it could be quite a while yet – if you guys want to go home…. I could call you later' said Neal, secretly hoping that his partner would stay

'Are you kidding?' said Peter 'My goddaughter's coming and I want to be the first to see her'

At this, Neal smiled visibly relieved to have both Peter and Elizabeth sticking with them until the very end. They were just leaving the room when he heard Sara.

'Neal, I'm having trouble getting up' she said, sounding totally exhausted

He raised his eyebrows at Peter and Elizabeth and went into the bathroom to collect Sara.

She was looking miserable and he flashed back to the second time he'd ever seen her, outside of Montebello's when she'd recovered that Mercedes SLR. She was so well put together with her 4 inch stilettos, her designer suit and her baton; in contrast she looked up at him with her sweaty hair sticking to her forehead, in his old sweatshirt and, thinking back on everything they had been through together, he found her even more beautiful than he had that day.

She began to moan as another contraction hit, big time. 'I'm gonna throw up' she said and he set her back down on the toilet and just had time to grab the bowl on the bathroom counter. He rubbed her back and gave her a sip of water and told her it was going to be fine.

When they returned to the room, he passed on Karen's suggestion and Sara looked over at the large tub. 'Would you come in with me?' she asked like a child pleading for a special privilege.

'Sure, if that's what you want' he answered as he made his way over to start filling the tub.

A few minutes later, alone in the room, Neal put on some soft music and stepped into the hot tub. He held her hand as she stepped in and Sara settled in between his legs leaning back against him. She began to visibly relax as the warm water washed over her. She looked up at him and gave him a very weak smile and whispered 'thanks'. She asked him to rub her back which he did dutifully and she moaned, this time in appreciation of the relief that the backrub was providing. She fell asleep and Neal was thankful for the respite that this gave her even though it lasted less than ten minutes. She woke to a contraction and she screamed while he held her, rubbing her belly and talking gently to her, telling her how strong and courageous she was.

10:18 p.m.

Dr. Cooper appeared again to see how things were progressing. She was trying to assess if she had time to run home for a few hours or if the birth was imminent. She asked Sara to lie on her back so she could take a look and assess the progress and Sara did as she was asked, holding Neal's hand very tightly.

Peter and Elizabeth had left to join June and Mozzie in the waiting room. June didn't want to miss the blessed event. She and Mozzie had been playing Candy Land in Neal and Sara's apartment while they waited for Neal's phone call. When he called at about 8:30, they decided that they would prefer to sit at the hospital than to be left waiting at home - to hell with finding King Kandy.

'This is looking very good Sara' said Dr. Cooper with an encouraging voice. 'You've dilated another centimeter'

'Is that all?' cried Sara, totally discouraged 'I can't do this anymore' she said as she began to sob as yet another wave of pain overtook her. The contractions were more frequent and more violent and when Dr. Cooper looked at Neal, she saw tears in his eyes.

'Neal, could you leave us alone for a moment?' she said and he knew that she was giving him an opportunity to leave the room and regroup.

'I'll be right back' he said to Sara, kissing her head.

As he stepped out of the room, he walked straight into Peter and Elizabeth who were on their way back. Elizabeth took one look at Neal and saw the sheer terror and pain in his eyes. 

'Why don't I sit with Sara for a while? I'm sure you guys could use a cup of coffee' she said winking at Peter

'What if she needs me?' said Neal, barely audibly

'We'll send for you. Go, take a few minutes' insisted Elizabeth, touching his arm

They headed for the cafeteria and Peter grabbed Neal by the shoulder to steer him to a table. Neal looked shell-shocked.

'Hey buddy, how are you holding up?' asked Peter as he put cream in his coffee

Neal didn't answer at first, just looked up at Peter with a vacant look in his eyes.

'I had no idea it was going to be this hard' he said 'I can't stand seeing her like this'

'Neal, you're losing your focus, here. Your beautiful baby is coming very soon. You have to remember that and try to help Sara focus her energies on that'

'You're right, you're right' repeated Neal 

He went on 'I can't believe women go through this every day. I've always thought of Sara as the strongest woman I've ever known but I had no idea just how strong she really was'

'Well, she needs you right now. She needs you to stay positive and remind her that in a little while you're going to be holding your daughter and all this will be behind you'

Neal nodded but didn't say anything. Finally, he looked up and his eyes were clear and focussed.

'Thanks Peter. I'm ok. I want to go back' he said

They headed back to the room to find Sara sitting in one of the chairs, rocking. Neal walked up to her and crouched down, smiling and taking her hand. She gave him a weak smile and he wiped a tear from her eye.

'You're amazing, Repo' he whispered just for her as Peter and Elizabeth sat nearby.

11:51 p.m.

Time passed and Sara continued to fluctuate between being incredibly focussed and wanting to give up. The pain was wearing her down and at this point, Neal became concerned that she would not have enough energy left when the time came to push.

He slipped out of the room to have a quiet word with Karen as Elizabeth walked up and down the hallway with Sara. During their pre-natal classes, there had been a lot of discussion about the option of having an epidural. Although Sara had expressed the preference of not having one, Neal knew that there was a limit to how much pain she could reasonably be expected to endure before her energy was all sapped up. He wanted to get Karen's advice.

'Neal, it's a very personal decision' she explained 'not one that you or I can make for her. I can certainly bring it up again but you know what she said an hour ago'

'Yeah, well that's just it' said Neal 'It's been another hour of constant contractions and she still has three more centimeters to go. That could take a couple of hours or more. I would love it if she could sleep for a little while'

When Elizabeth and Sara returned from their little walk, Sara was having another monster contraction and she decided she needed to work through this one by crouching down on the ground and having a good old fashioned shriek. Peter, who had been sitting reading, discreetly got up to leave the room and Neal settled in on the floor beside her and talked her through although she wasn't very appreciative of his efforts and told him so in no uncertain terms. Karen came in, and seeing the scene on the floor, walked over and sat with them.

'Sara' she said gently 'I think we should talk about the epidural'

'No' said Sara abruptly as Neal continued to rub her back 'I'm almost there'

'You are' said Karen 'and you're doing a terrific job but you still have a couple of centimeters to go and that could take a few hours still. I just want to make you aware that you're going to need a lot of energy to push and if you don't rest, you're going to find it more difficult. The epidural will just dull the pain and you might even be able to sleep for a little while'

Sara looked up at Neal, questioning, wondering what she should do.

'This is your decision, Sara' he said 'either way is fine with me'

'Ok, give me drugs' she finally said as they helped her up off the floor

She lay on the bed and Neal faced her while they inserted the needle in her back, certainly uncomfortable, but after the pain of the contractions, everything was relative. She squirmed slightly and moaned as Neal stared into her eyes and told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world to which she responded

'Caffrey, you're so full of shit'

He smiled and so did she and it was finally over.

Within 15 minutes, she had fallen asleep and Neal sighed in relief as Peter and Elizabeth returned with a cup of coffee for him.

TBC

_One more chapter to go and this series will be almost wrapped up. I have one more story that takes place two weeks later. Please let me know if you have enjoyed this series and if you want more Neal & Sara or if you have had enough. With season 5 introducing a new love interest for Neal, maybe it's time to let go of Sara and Neal? Comments?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

1:48 a.m.

'Sara, listen to me' said Dr. Cooper 'It's time to push'

Sara nodded, incapable of talking. Neal had positioned himself behind her on the bed to support her back and help her sit up straighter so she could push more efficiently. He was holding her hands on either side of her body and she was squeezing so tight, he thought he would never regain sensation again.

'You're doing it, Sara' he said in her ear as she began to push with all her strength.

'Ok, stop and breathe' said Dr. Cooper after a few seconds

Sara let herself fall back against Neal and moaned softly.

'Good work, now a couple more like that and the head will be out. Can you do one more for me now, Sara?'

'It hurts' screamed Sara and her voice cut through Neal like a knife.

'I know it hurts, but this baby only has one way out, Sara. You're almost done. Don't give up now' said Dr. Cooper

'Arrrrrggg' Sara let out a noise that came from deep inside her as she once again pushed as hard as she possibly could. She could feel Neal behind her, holding her and keeping her from completely collapsing.

'Very good' said Dr. Cooper, encouraging her. Look in the mirror, there's the top of the head, see? Oh, she's got her daddy's hair' she added, by way of incentive to keep Sara's spirits up. 'I need you to go again, Sara. This is the hardest part, I promise'

Sara nodded and sat up again, groaning and letting out this guttural noise Neal had never heard before. She pushed for about thirty seconds then Dr. Cooper instructed her to stop. Neal could see the doctor glancing repeatedly at the monitor which measured the baby's heart rate and blood flow. Why was she checking that thing constantly, he wondered.

Not wanting to alarm Sara, he didn't want to ask the question outright but it became apparent there was some sort of problem when Dr. Cooper spoke:

'Sara, I'm going to need you to push some more, your baby needs more oxygen and we need to get her out as fast as we can, ok?'

'What?' said Sara alarmed and seemingly disoriented

'It's ok. Let's just do what the doctor said, Sara. You can do this, come on, I'll push with you – come on let's take a deep breath' said Neal with a calmness that belied his inner anxiety.

Neal's gentle tone of voice seemed to have a calming effect on Sara and she took a giant breath of air as she mimicked him and began to push with all her might.

'There we go' said Dr. Cooper 'Good one, the head's out'

Neal could see the dark head of hair in the mirror that had been installed for them and he immediately felt a rush of excitement.

'Ok, Sara, one more huge push so we can get the shoulders out and you're all done. You can do this' said Dr. Cooper

Neal braced himself to support Sara and she took another giant gulp of air to see her through the final push.

'You're doing it, Sara, you're amazing' he couldn't help but say as tears began to sting his eyes. At last, the baby slipped out and Karen was nearby to take her and lay her on a towel. She suctioned her little mouth and within seconds they heard her take her first breath and begin to cry.

Neal and Sara stared with astonishment at the sight of their baby as she was scooped up by Dr. Cooper and placed on Sara's belly for both of them to see.

Sara began sobbing, this time in joy and relief and Neal joined her, overcome by emotion at this moment they had waited for so long.

'Would you like to cut the cord, dad?' Dr. Cooper asked looking at Neal.

He wiggled out from behind Sara and finally facing her, he saw Sara's beautiful face looking down at their daughter and he knew his life would never be the same again. He muddled through the cutting of the umbilical cord with a little help from the nurse and the baby was wiped down and put in Sara's arms for the first time. Neal, shaking, climbed back up onto the bed with Sara and put his arm around his new family.

'I can't believe this is really happening' said Sara, softly. Neal stared, hypnotized by the sight of his little girl, so tiny, yet so complete. 'She's so beautiful' he finally said, in a trance. 'We did this, you and me, it's incredible'

2:53 a.m.

Neal stepped out into the waiting room and saw all their friends including Jones and Diana who had not been there when he had last checked an hour ago. When he appeared, they all turned towards him and seeing the smile on his face, everyone visibly relaxed as they waited for him to say the words.

'Would you all like to come and meet our daughter' he finally said

There were sounds of joy from everyone present and they all paraded into the room, one by one following Neal who was leading the way.

As the door opened, Sara saw their friends and family walk in and she gave them the brightest smile they had ever seen. In her arms, was the baby that everyone had been waiting for.

The group gathered around them, ready to welcome Neal and Sara's daughter into the fold. She lay quietly in her mother's arms, then her dad's and finally she was passed around first to her godparents and then to all the well-wishers who found themselves there in the middle of the night.

Sara was exhausted but she and Neal both had this foolish grin on their faces that just wouldn't fade and probably wouldn't for a long, long time.

At 7 pounds, 4 ounces, baby Ellis-Caffrey was a good size, strong yet dainty – just like her mother. She had scored a 9 on the APGAR which was now reason for her parents to brag. She had lost a point to account for the little bit of distress she had been in just before she was born but she had recuperated within minutes. This wouldn't be last time that Neal and Sara would be proud of their daughter's accomplishements.

She had a full head of hair, dark, like Neal's and her eyes were blue although it was impossible to know if they would remain that color. The shape of her eyes and her forehead were reminiscent of her mother's although her nose and mouth looked more like Neal's. One thing was certain, with parents as strong as the two of them, she was going to be her own person and not a carbon copy of either one of them.

Elizabeth, proud godmother, became very emotional upon holding the baby for the first time. Sara knew of Elizabeth's struggle with infertility and hoped that the baby's presence would not be the cause of any unease for her. Elizabeth hugged Sara and whispered : 'I am so happy for you; thanks for inviting me to be a part of your baby's life' and in that moment, Sara was reassured that they would somehow be able to get through any temporary heartbreak Elizabeth might be feeling.

Peter, was more reserved in his reaction but when he held his goddaughter, he seemed like a natural and he looked up at Neal : 'You did good, kid' he said and he suddenly got choked up. He kissed the baby's forehead and smelled her new baby smell and seemed to realize the enormity of the role he would be playing in her life. He was confident that her presence would inspire Neal to continue to strive for balance in his life.

When June's turn came, her eyes filled with tears. Neal was the closest thing she had to a son and their relationship had blossomed over the past three years. She knew things about him that no one else knew (not even him) and she had secretly hoped that he would find a way to have the happiness she knew he deserved. The thought of having this little one in her home, even in the short term, filled her with joy.

Uncle Mozzie, who hated hospitals more than all of them put together, sat patiently waiting his turn and didn't complain once. He also had a goofy smile on his face as he looked at his long-time buddy, bursting with pride. Maybe he had been wrong about 'forever not being for guys like them'. He wouldn't mind being wrong just this once as long as Neal didn't go totally establishment on him.

'There are going to be some tired people at the office, tomorrow' said Peter looking at Diana and Jones

'It's well worth it' said Diana, smiling as she held the little one. She had been talking about having a baby with Christie and she seemed particularly quiet when her turn came. She was examining the infant and seemed in awe of how tiny and complete she seemed.

Jones, who seemed the most awkward when the baby was handed to him, looked down at her and smiled, showing a most gentle side that wasn't always apparent on a day to day basis.

What was it about a baby that made everyone giddy, hopeful and optimistic about the future. If only this feeling could be bottled, a fortune could be made.

After a while, the inevitable question of a name for the baby came up.

Neal and Sara looked knowingly at each other. They had had many discussions on this topic but now that they had seen her beautiful face, it had become very clear. She represented a promise of a brighter future for both her parents and her name reflected that.

Neal took his daughter in his arms and walked back to the bed where he sat next to Sara who was still beaming.

'We would like you all to meet Hope Elizabeth Ellis-Caffrey' said Neal.

There was a round of applause as Elizabeth let out a gasp of pure joy and surprise.

After everyone had finally gone home, Neal and Sara were left alone with Hope as they prepared to sleep for a few hours. The nurse had already been in to help coach Sara with breastfeeding techniques and Hope had begun to get the hang of it and had taken a small amount of milk. She was sleeping peacefully in Sara's arms and although she was exhausted, she didn't want to put her down. She finally handed Hope over to Neal who placed her in the bassinette by the bed and they both lay down facing in her direction so they could continue to admire her.

Neal curled up around Sara and spoke softly in her ear : 'You were incredible. Look at her, she's perfect' Sara turned to look in his face : 'She is. I couldn't have done this without you.'

He kissed the mother of his baby and despite their best intentions, after a little while, their eyes could not stay open any longer and they fell asleep to the sound of their daughter's breathing.

And that was the beginning of another brand new adventure for Sara, Neal and their daughter Hope Ellis-Caffrey.

La fin

_Thanks to everyone for reading!_

_I hope you have enjoyed this story and the whole series which chronicled Sara and Neal's path to parenthood. I have one more story in the works which takes place two weeks later. I hate to say goodbye – I had such a great time writing this series of stories but now that season 5 is about to start and apparently Neal will meet a new love interest, I feel like I should be closing the books on Neal and Sara. That's how I see things for now…. thanks to all of you who read, enjoyed and commented._


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